Latest news with #IndigenousHistory
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Traditional games, buffalo hide featured at Oskana Day in Regina
Saturday was a notable day for Indigenous history in Saskatchewan, as Oskana Day was celebrated at the legislative building in Regina. On site, tipis were raised at 10 a.m., with a display and demonstration on hand. Traditional games were available, and a discovery table was present for people stopping by. The Buffalo People Arts Institute had a chance to show off their own buffalo hide, with artist Wade BigEagle looking to continue the art legacy started by his parents. Many stopped by to see the hide, and how Wade and his brother used the entire animal. 'We're creating a space so we don't waste the hide. We don't waste the bones, we don't waste the horns,' he said. 'Everything is going to be used in the buffalo in some way or another. That's basically my mom's goal, which is to be able to bring this back to the public, to the community, for everyone to enjoy,' he added. This is a new art form for BigEagle, who started in his late 20's. 'I'd like to thank my mother for the knowledge that she's passed down to me, because it took me a while to absorb that knowledge' he said. 'I'm 32 years old right now, normally speaking, you'd be working on this kind of stuff for your whole life.' The word 'Oskana' refers to the Cree word meaning 'pile of bones,' referring to the amount of buffalo that were lost in the Regina area during the 19th and 20th century.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Traditional games, buffalo hide featured at Oksana Day in Regina
Saturday was a notable day for Indigenous history in Saskatchewan, as Oskana Day was celebrated at the legislative building in Regina. On site, tipis were raised at 10 a.m., with a display and demonstration on hand. Traditional games were available, and a discovery table was present for people stopping by. The Buffalo People Arts Institute had a chance to show off their own buffalo hide, with artist Wade BigEagle looking to continue the art legacy started by his parents. Many stopped by to see the hide, and how Wade and his brother used the entire animal. 'We're creating a space so we don't waste the hide. We don't waste the bones, we don't waste the horns,' he said. 'Everything is going to be used in the buffalo in some way or another. That's basically my mom's goal, which is to be able to bring this back to the public, to the community, for everyone to enjoy,' he added. This is a new art form for BigEagle, who started in his late 20's. 'I'd like to thank my mother for the knowledge that she's passed down to me, because it took me a while to absorb that knowledge' he said. 'I'm 32 years old right now, normally speaking, you'd be working on this kind of stuff for your whole life.' The word 'Oskana' refers to the Cree word meaning 'pile of bones,' referring to the amount of buffalo that were lost in the Regina area during the 19th and 20th century.
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Vogue
4 days ago
- General
- Vogue
Joseph Lee on the Sprawlng Portrait of Aquinnah Wampanoag Identity at the Center of His New Book, Nothing More of This Land
While Martha's Vineyard is perhaps best known as a vacation spot that draws the well-to-do likes of Seth Meyers and the Obamas to its shores every summer, the island also has a rich and complex Indigenous history. Aquinnah Wampanoag writer Joseph Lee gives voice to that past in his new book, Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity. The book chronicles Lee's own upbringing in Martha's Vineyard, as well considering what it means to be in community with other Indigenous individuals around the world. Here, he discusses the book, community sovereignty, taking inspiration from fellow Aquinnah Wampanoag author and historian Linda Coombs, learning the Wampanoag language as a child, and his favorite thing to do when he's back on Martha's Vineyard. This conversation has been edited and condensed. Vogue: How does it feel to see the book out in the world? Joseph Lee: I mean, the book being out is just really exciting. It's a little bit strange because, you know, you work on something for a long time and mostly by yourself, and then suddenly it's out in the world and people are reading it, and it's exciting and a little scary. Transitioning from just writing, where it's you and your laptop, to being out there talking about it and promoting it is great, but it's definitely a shift. You dig so much into present history, including the origins of your own name. What did your research process look like? It was pretty mixed, because I was using so many different types of sources. A lot of it was just talking to my parents or talking to cousins or going back through tribal meeting records, but [there was also some] looking through the local papers, or we have a tribal newsletter that goes out, and I've looked at a lot of those. I was also doing research online and interviewing people from other places. It was a really diverse research scope. It was just trying to gather as much as possible and [use] as many different sources as possible. Are there books that you kind of feel helped your book exist? I would say almost every book written by an Indigenous person before me. Actually, there's one from my own tribe, by Linda Coombs, and it's called Colonization and the Wampanoag Story. I'm not sure what the technical categorization is, but it's a book that has a lot of history as well as a creative retelling, imagining what life was like before colonization in our tribe. Those kinds of books helped me factually—the information in those books was useful to me—but it also helped me personally think about being a Wampanoag author, being a Native author, and putting something like this out into the world.
ABC News
11-07-2025
- ABC News
'Father of NAIDOC' William Cooper's vision and struggle live on
Alf Turner, known to the Yorta Yorta community as Uncle Boydie, has seen with his own eyes what the past century has brought for his country and its people. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following story contains images of people who have died. The 96-year-old remembers hiding from a black car driven by authorities, fearing he would be taken away like so many other children. He remembers the leeches the community would collect on the banks of the Murray River in what is now the Barmah National Park, which were later sold to the local hospital for bloodletting. He remembers river red gums sent on barges to become railway sleepers, and Murray cod as long as your arm packed and sent to the Melbourne fish markets. And he remembers the hive of activity that was his grandfather William Cooper's house in 1930s Footscray, where Mr Cooper was holding some of the first meetings of Aboriginal people discussing First Nations rights at a national level. "He was my grandfather, and I'm just so lucky that I was able to live with him for part of my life and meet all the people that came to the meetings, and help him fight in those days for what they needed to have." William Cooper was a renowned Yorta Yorta activist and founder of the lobby group the Australian Aborigines' League, which called for "a fair deal for the dark race". He is perhaps most famous for drawing up a petition in the 1930s to the then king of England calling for an Aboriginal representative in the federal parliament, and for protesting to the German consulate about the treatment of Jewish people following Kristallnacht. He is also the only individual credited in the official history of NAIDOC Week on the organisation's website. Mr Cooper and fellow activists were responsible for the Day of Mourning on January 26, 1938, which evolved into a string of events that would eventually become NAIDOC Week. "They call Grandfather [Cooper] the 'father of NAIDOC,'" said his great-great-grandson David Jago. Mr Cooper stood down from the league as his health failed and returned to Yorta Yorta country, where he died in 1941. For NAIDOC's 50th anniversary, this year's theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy is close to home for Mr Cooper's descendants. Mr Jago has spent a lot of time researching his ancestor's life, and said it was a big responsibility. Uncle Boydie has carried his grandfather's legacy by completing some of the tasks he set out to do — finally delivering the petition's message to the British monarch, and travelling to Germany to communicate Cooper's solidarity with the Jewish people. "It meant a lot not only to the people that we were there for, but for me to carry on … what Grandfather did — [it's] pleasing to me for the rest of my days," he said. Melbourne's William Cooper Justice Centre and the federal electorate of Cooper bear witness to the late Yorta Yorta leader's legacy. Mr Jago and Uncle Boydie also carry their ancestor's torch in a relationship with another centre that bears his name: the William Cooper Institute at Monash University. Mr Cooper was passionate about literacy and education, and taught himself to read word by word. Now there is a scholarship in his name, and the centre focuses on recruiting Indigenous students and supporting them through their degree. Director of the William Cooper Institute and Torres Strait Islander woman Erin Pennett said First Nations student enrolments had doubled at Monash since 2018, the year before the institute's inception. Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man Joshua Vickery-Stewart, 23, is one of the recipients of the William Cooper Indigenous Scholarship. The final-year Bachelor of Arts student met with Uncle Boydie on Yorta Yorta country and said the ideas of this year's NAIDOC theme resonated with him. "The next generation is something you always need to think about," Mr Vickery-Stewart said. "Coming off the 'No' vote of the referendum, I feel like having the strength and vision to what we need to go on to next is really important." Mr Vickery-Stewart said the academic support provided by the institute had made all the difference to his studies. "I feel like if I didn't have that … I would probably be dropping out already," he said. Narungga student Toni Brotherton was supported with a loaned laptop, uniforms, textbooks and nominations for scholarships. "The William Cooper Institute is the reason why I've gotten through my degree if I'm completely honest," she said. Ms Brotherton was inspired to begin her studies after working in administration at the Red Cross, supporting doctors and nurses deployed overseas. She is now in her final year of a nursing and midwifery double degree, and has her own vision for the future. "I'm really passionate about birthing on country, and potentially starting up a not-for-profit organisation in the future to help close the gap within that space of maternity healthcare," Ms Brotherton said. She said she hoped to see Indigenous life expectancy rise, and more First Nations enrolments in tertiary studies. As Mr Jago pointed out, Mr Cooper was fighting a similar fight. "He was fighting for better education," he said. "He was fighting not to have kids removed from their parents forcibly, and he was fighting for January 26 to be a day of reflection rather than celebration.
CBC
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Thousands flock to The Forks to celebrate Canada Day in Winnipeg
Thousands of people flocked to The Forks in Winnipeg for Canada Day celebrations on Tuesday. Winnipeggers were joined by visitors from across the country and continent to take part in the family-friendly events, which ran from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday. The programming included dance battles, a skateboard demonstration from Píhtikwé Skatepark, a basketball tournament with Winnipeg Sea Bears, animal exhibits with FortWhyte Alive, musical performances, and a handmade market, among other activities. Jessica Drakul, who is originally from Newfoundland but now calls Winnipeg home, said The Forks is "the place to be on Canada Day." "I feel like today is a wonderful day to celebrate all the things that we have managed to make true in this country. When you come to The Forks, you're also celebrating the Indigenous history of this country, which is so important," Drakul said. According to The Forks, the celebration has been given the name Wáhkóhtowin by Two-Spirit Kokum Charlotte Nolin. Nolin said the name reflects the importance of kinship and mutual responsibilities to care for one another. Red River Métis lawyer Victoria Perrie has been working to bring Indigenous events to the Forks for the Many Nations, One Heartbeat program that ran for the 11 days between National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 and Canada Day on Tuesday. "What we've been doing is celebrating all of the different people who live in what is now called Manitoba," Perrie said. Perrie said each day of the program highlighted a different treaty region within the province, celebrating the local people, culture and lands. She said the series culminated on July 1, celebrating all the newcomers who call these lands home. "Being Canadian to me means being able to relate to one another in a good way and being welcoming to all people. Being Canadian today means being Indigenous and being a part of the wider fabric of Canada," Perrie said. Patience Tokulak-Mai Moussa, who moved from Nigeria to Winnipeg more than 20 years ago, said she loves the freedom and safety of living in Manitoba. "This is our home," she said at The Forks on Tuesday, after visiting the Royal Canadian Mint. "We're proud Canadians." Michele Montgomery and Tim Montgomery, who were visiting Winnipeg from Texas, told CBC News they feel like "closet Canadians." The American couple has spent every Canada Day in Winnipeg for the past three years, driving for two days with their dogs and bicycles to enjoy the cooler weather compared to their scorching Dallas summers. "We want to support Canada and we just love it here," said Michele. "I feel more at peace here." "We love your country and don't take it for granted because it's a wonderful, wonderful place to be," said Tim, adding they secretly cheered for the Jets in their playoff series against the Stars. Welcome ceremony for Gazan families People visiting The Forks for Canada Day had the chance to enjoy live music all day long. Leonard Sumner, who is from Little Saskatchewan First Nation, said that as a First Nations performer, he didn't grow up celebrating Canada Day. But when he was asked to perform at The Forks, he thought it was a great opportunity to officially welcome two families that were displaced by the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and came to Winnipeg for medical care. "I've organized a little ceremony to welcome them to our community and do a little blanket ceremony and just let them know that they're welcome here by the First Nations people," Sumner said. In January, provincial officials welcomed an 11-year-old boy who could not get the medical care he needed due to the conflict. In May, a second child from Gaza arrived to access life-changing medical care in the province. "I just wanted to make them feel welcome and welcome them to their new home, which is a part of our territory," he said.
